We Five “There Stands The Door>>”

by Beverly Paterson in Album Reviews

The old adage of being in the right place at the right time can certainly apply to We Five. Formed in 1964 by Michael Stewart (brother of John Stewart of The Kingston Trio), the San Francisco based group not only proposed a sound that fit in with what was happening on the airwaves, but the city by the bay was also shaking with action then, as a wildly fertile art scene existed and would eventually blossom into something even bigger and more influential.Signed to A&M Records, We Five struck it rich on their first try, with “You Were On My Mind,” which jogged all the way up to the number three slot on the national charts in the summer of 1965. Shaped of sparkly female vocals, heavenly harmonies and crisp arrangements, the sunny song climaxes to a run of star-spangled guitar chords vibrating with electricity.

Towards the end of 1965, We Five scored a number thirty-one hit single with a soft and swaying cover of Dino Valenti’s “Let’s Get Together.” Four years later, The Youngbloods laid down their own version of the song, which cracked the top five. Sad to say, “Let’s Get Together” was We Five’s last hurrah in terms of commercial success. Musical differences, personnel changes, misguided gigs and so forth arose, causing the band to lose direction. Read Alec Palao’s extensive liner notes to “There Stands The Door >> The Best Of We Five” for the full story on the group.

Along with “You Were On My Mind” and “Let’s Get Together,” the twenty-two track set features a load and a half of equally cool offerings. The title cut of the disc is especially impressive. Buoyed by wobbly raga-rock designs, the utterly haunting “There Stands The Door” rivals the freakiest moments of We Five’s psychedelic counterparts. “You Let A Love Burn Out” further appropriates a raga-rock feel, where “High Flying Bird” quivers with intensity and “The Thing I Like” neatly blends blues aspirations with catchy pop sensibilities. Wired with spellbinding singing, razor sharp instrumentation and mountains of memorable melodies, “There Stands The Door >> The Best Of We Five” shines brightly with revelations. Here’s a group ripe for rediscovery.